Mechanistic Investigation of Asphaltene-Induced Fouling in Preheat Trains of Refinery Crude Distillation Units

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dc.contributor.advisorChapman , Walter Gen_US
dc.creatorAl-Shamlan, Yousef Easaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-05T16:12:34Zen_US
dc.date.created2022-12en_US
dc.date.issued2022-12-02en_US
dc.date.submittedDecember 2022en_US
dc.date.updated2023-01-05T16:12:34Zen_US
dc.descriptionEMBARGO NOTE: This item is embargoed until 2024-12-01en_US
dc.description.abstractAsphaltene precipitation and its subsequent deposition is a growing problem for the oil and gas industry. Not only does it hinder the output of oilfields, but it also causes significant issues in downstream refining. Blending incompatible oils and operations at high surface temperatures are some of the key causes of the instability of asphaltenes, which may lead to fouling and reduction in performance for refinery equipment, such as heat exchangers. In this work, a systematic investigation of crude oil properties and asphaltene behavior at high temperatures and pressures was done for the first time to understand the occurrence and the magnitude of asphaltene-induced fouling in heat exchangers. The physico-chemical characterization of the oil samples used in this study included the application of a novel methodology to separate the crude oil into asphaltene and multiple maltene fractions, with known properties such as molecular weights and densities. Asphaltene polydispersity, onsets of asphaltene precipitation and the amount of precipitated asphaltenes were also investigated, as well as the rheological behavior of the crude oils of interest. A novel experimental apparatus that can operate in batch and continuous flow modes was built and operated to investigate the behavior of crude oil blends at high temperatures and pressures. In batch mode, the setup was used to investigate the effect of temperature on asphaltene stability and precipitation tendency. The extent of fouling at high temperatures was further explored using the configuration in a continuous mode of operation. According to evidence obtained in this work, asphaltene solubility decreases with increasing temperature, which leads to the formation of asphaltene deposits on the wall of the heat exchanger tubes. This mechanism, which might seem counterintuitive, is different from the asphaltene behavior reported in upstream conditions. This study provides a solid foundation and valuable laboratory data to facilitate the development of computer models to predict the occurrence and the magnitude of asphaltene-induced fouling, and for the development of best practices to mitigate this challenging problem commonly found in refineries worldwide.en_US
dc.embargo.lift2024-12-01en_US
dc.embargo.terms2024-12-01en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationAl-Shamlan, Yousef Easa. "Mechanistic Investigation of Asphaltene-Induced Fouling in Preheat Trains of Refinery Crude Distillation Units." (2022) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/114216">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/114216</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/114216en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectAsphalteneen_US
dc.subjectFoulingen_US
dc.subjectHeat exchangersen_US
dc.subjectPreheat trainen_US
dc.subjectRefineryen_US
dc.subjectDownstreamen_US
dc.titleMechanistic Investigation of Asphaltene-Induced Fouling in Preheat Trains of Refinery Crude Distillation Unitsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentChemical and Biomolecular Engineeringen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineeringen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
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